Improved apparatus for drawing tube-skelfs



dilated time @met @time STEPHEN l. M. TASKER ANDRBERT B'RIGGS, OF PHI PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 92,7 61, dated July 20, 1869.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRAWING TUBE-SKELPS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To ull whom 'it may concern.:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN P. M. TAsKER and ltonnn'r Barcos, both of Philadelphia, in the county otPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in llongs, Mandrel, and Dies, for Bending up the Skelps or Strips-of Metal Used in Making Tubes; and we do hereby declare" To enable others skilled in the art of making tubes to make and use our invention, we will proceed lto describe its construction and operation.

The bending-dies D D are formed of such internal shape as gradually and easily to roll up the flat strip 'of metal (or skelps) S, while it is drawn by the tongs T, through or between the dies; the tongs T being made as thin or narrow as is consistent with the strain uponthem, and passing into the dies along a slot, at P P this construction and method being that patented by Mildred Blakey, No. 70,397, November 5, 1867, upon whose process our invention is an improvement.

In order to bend skelps of lap-welded tubes, it is the most common practice to have a mandrel placedin between the dies, to sustain the skelp, and keep the edges of thelaps together. rlhis has been heretofore done by placing a mandrel upon the skelp and permitting it to be dragged in to the dies with it, a process which leaves a part of' the'end of the tubes, where the tongs take hohl, unsupported, and ilnperfectly lapped, and also demands a workman to handle and cool the mandrel. v

By our improvement themandrel is permanently placed in the dies, being held from pa-ssing through by a shoulder or projection at g, and along the top ot' this niandrelwe form a groove or 'slot, N, in which the lower bit or nose of the tongs can lie.

l1urthermore, in order to prevent the drawing of the tongs from depressing the mandrel upon the dies, or cramping the i-ron of the skelp by an unfair pull with regard to the dies, -we have found it expedient to supportthe nose of the tongs by a carrying-pin, U, which is made'to ride upon flanges E E, attached to the dies, the upper edges of which are ,parallel to the inside of' the top of the die, so that the skelp is sustained whilstthe tongs are passing through or along the die or mandrel, after which time, the skelp being lapped smoothly around the mandrel, no further external support is needed.

Weare aware that skelps have been bent by means of solid or fixed dies, which give the outer shape to the bent skelp, with and without the combination of a fixed or movable mandrel to give the inside shape to the bent skelp,.the whole being used in connection with the ordinary draw-bench and lazy-tongs, where the end of the skelp is previously bent into shape, or is trimmed down to a point, or has a helper7 (or handle) welded or bra-Zed upon it, such end, point, or helper being inserted through the die, so as to be grasped by the lazy-tongs. Arrangements and combinations of this kind are of Well-known, long-continued, and even ancient use, and` are constantly practised, in the manlifacture of stair-rods, brass inonldings and tubes, lnibnf` lar sash-bars, andother hollow or trough-forms; but we do not claim any improvement except in combination with such fixed dies as will admit the tongs to'be passed along, and through them, so that the tongs can lay hold upon the unbent and unprepared end of the Skel Alge are aware of the invention of Mildred Blakey, before referred to, and disclaim anything therein claimed or described, this, our invention, being applicable therewith as an improvement; but

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isg g 1. The permanent or fixed mandrel, in combination with two permanent and xed dies, Whose upper edges are separated longitudinally, so that the tongs can be passed along and between them, to lay hold upon the skelp, substantially as described. l

2. Also, the slot or groove along the mandrel, 1n which the lower bit or jaw of the tongs can pass, while the end ofthe skelp, to which the tongs are attached, is passing the dies, substantially as described.

3. Also, the pin or carrier for supporting the nose or end of the tongs while passing along the dies, substantially as described.

4. Also, the anges or sliding surfaces F F, formed upon the dies or independent of them, upon which the pin, or its equivalent mechanical device, can be made -to move, substantiallyas described.

STEPHEN P. M. TASKER. ROBT. BnIGGs. lVitnesses XV. HARRY STIRLING, JAMES NICHOLSON.

L-ADELHIA. 

